


malum discordiae

by atimi (bertee)



Series: CWRPF: horas non numero [5]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Ancient Rome, Dubious Consent, Fights, M/M, Sexual Slavery, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-02
Updated: 2009-08-02
Packaged: 2017-11-11 10:08:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/477387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertee/pseuds/atimi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jared sneaks into the house of Jensen's new owner, he finds they have a bigger problem than him getting caught.</p>
            </blockquote>





	malum discordiae

Butler's house was silent.

Jared had expected it to be quiet - he'd watched from a side street as Butler and his entourage had departed earlier, the man himself reclining in his litter while his party of slaves had lifted it and begun the slow journey across the city - but he'd been prepared for at least some other slaves to be bustling around the house as normal. The dinner party, which would keep Butler busy for most of the afternoon, had emptied the house of a good number of people but since Jared hadn't seen Jensen leave with them, he figured there had to be others who remained behind too.

However, as he snuck in through the back door and made his way through the lavish house, he wasn't finding many of them.

The atrium and dining room were deserted and while Jared spotted a couple of slaves (neither of them Jensen) working in the kitchen, they did so quietly and diligently, barely noticing each other, let alone spotting the intruder in their midst. Making as little noise as possible, Jared crept through to the bedrooms. He debated whether to check the slaves' dormitory or the main bedrooms first but eventually settled on the main bedrooms with the reasoning that Jensen was more likely to be cleaning in there than sleeping on his own cot.

He ignored his brain's additions of 'unless' to his rationale ( _unless he's hurt, unless he's been chained down, unless you didn't pay enough attention this past month and Butler already sold him on to someone else_ ) and went to explore the bedrooms reserved for free men.

He got lucky early on with a sound from the room that had to be Butler's own. The shutters were open to let sunlight fall on the expensive drapery and furniture but from the hallway he couldn't see the bed or the source of the rustling noise. Again, his helpful mind filled in the blanks ( _Jensen lying raped and bleeding, Jensen tied down and helpless, Jensen beaten and choking out his last breaths_ ) and Jared had to force himself to go slow and peer carefully inside.

The door squeaked when he inched it open and some of his immediate fears were allayed when he heard a familiar voice call from inside, "Master?" A pause and a change in tone. "Gerard?"

Before Jared could open his mouth to question the use of Butler's first name, the door was opened fully and his thoughts dropped away at the sight of Jensen standing in front of him, unharmed, unbound, and open-mouthed. "Jared?"

"Hey," he said lamely, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him.

Jensen only watched while he did so, eyes still wide in surprise at his presence. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

Taking offence at the barrage of questions instead of the usual barrage of kisses, Jared said with mostly teasing sarcasm, "Wow, Jensen, glad you're so happy to see me."

Jensen's brows knitted together for a moment before they uncreased and a genuine smile crossed his lips for the first time as he moved in. "Sorry. I'm sorry, I just- I was surprised to see you here." His arms looped around Jared's neck and he pressed an apologetic kiss to his lips, tongue slipping into Jared's mouth with a newfound and enjoyable confidence.

Jared's arms went around his waist in return, one hand sneaking down to squeeze his ass, but his attention was on the kiss and the fact that Jensen seemed to be in good health after the month they'd been apart. He pulled back to look in his eyes but the smile that dawned at the glint there soon faltered when he realized Jensen's torso was bare under his hands.

He broke the embrace and stepped back, keeping his voice light-hearted as he asked, confused, "Did I wake you?"

"What?" Jensen's smile was one of equal confusion; both of them knew slaves didn't get to sleep in. "No, I was just cleaning up the room."

"Without your tunic?"

It was almost comical to see Jensen look down at himself, his body covered only by a small but expensive-looking cloth around his hips and groin. However, Jared didn't feel much like laughing when Jensen offered him an awkward smile and pulled a clean, folded tunic out of a chest in the corner of the room to cover himself up. "Sorry. I forget sometimes-"

His act didn't hold up and Jared challenged, "You forget? Or are you not used to wearing clothes when Butler's here?"

Jensen's head snapped up, spots of color rising on his cheeks as he fumbled for an answer, "Jared, I-"

"Because that's in good condition," Jared continued as if he hadn't spoken, reaching out to tug at the shoulder of Jensen's tunic. "Really good condition. Kind of like you never wear it."

He felt jealousy rather than triumph prickle under his skin when Jensen gave in and said tactfully, "Yes, okay? Master Butler prefers me wearing fewer clothes."

"It's 'Master Butler' now?" Jared knew he was sniping but couldn't stop. "When I walked in, it was 'Gerard'."

Jensen's jaw clenched but he answered civilly, "I call him what he wants to be called."

"But you don't call people what I want you to call them? I asked you dozens of times to call Chad by his name when it was just the two of us and you wouldn't."

Running a hand through his hair, Jensen moved to dust down the big chests lining the wall and, intentionally or coincidentally, turned his back to him. "I didn't want to get into bad habits. If I slipped up and called him that to his face-"

"He probably wouldn't have noticed," Jared filled in truthfully, hating the atmosphere that was brewing between the two of them but unable to make it dissipate.

Jensen crouched down to polish the metal plating on the front of a chest. "That's not the point."

"Then what is the point, Jensen? He didn't-" Jared cut himself off as the sight of Jensen leaning over the chest made him mentally replay the older man's actions from a moment earlier. Remembering Jensen getting his rarely-worn tunic out of a chest in his master's bedroom, he asked faintly, half-knowing the answer that would follow, "Where do you sleep, Jen?"

Jensen turned at that, frowning up at him over his shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm asking you where you sleep," Jared repeated, irritation rising at the evasion. "Because if you sleep down in the slave barracks, why are your clothes in here?"

Jensen's gaze flickered away, long lashes acting as shutters for his emotions when he admitted, "I don't sleep in the slave barracks."

Jared's chest felt like it was being tightened, ribs closing in on him a little further with every second that passed until all he could do was suck in a breath and spit out the question, "Is he fucking you?"

If he thought the time slid by slowly before, it was nothing compared to the strained silence which stretched between them for the time it took Jensen to get to his feet, meet his eyes, and say simply, "Yes."

The confession sat there, open and ugly, and Jared could do nothing but fix a ( _crueler than intended_ ) smirk on his face and comment, "You don't seem all that upset about it."

Jensen shrugged, a glimpse of his usual ( _moderated_ ) openness shining through as he said, "It's not like it would do me any good, would it?"

The rational part of Jared knew that he should accept Jensen's wry smile, put this rare opportunity to better use, and indulge his pity for the other man in private. However, the controlling part, the part that had been without Jensen for a month while he shared Butler's bed without any qualms, flared up with sparks of anger and threw out the snide retort, "I wouldn't know - have you ever even tried saying no to him?"

Anger flashed through Jensen's eyes before it was replaced by the cold veneer that Jared had seen in the marketplace a month ago. "No. I've never said no to him."

Adjusting his toga over his shoulder, Jared stepped nearer and asked with masochistic curiosity, "Is he good?"

"Jared-"

"Is he good?" he repeated louder but stopped his advance. "Tell me. Is Butler a good fuck?"

Jensen met his eyes. "Yes."

"Does he like it rough?"

"Sometimes."

"Does he let you come?"

"That's not-"

Jared's hand closed around Jensen's upper arm to stop him pulling away when he leaned in and demanded again, "Does he let you come?"

Glaring at him, Jensen yanked his arm from Jared's grip and moved away before answering honestly, "Sometimes."

Jared's world narrowed to just that room and his question was quiet over the sound of Jensen's breaths. "Is he better than me?"

"Don't do this."

"Why?" He knew he sounded like a petulant child but didn't care. "So you don't have to tell me the truth? Come on, Jensen, if you prefer being with him just fucking come out and say it!"

"I don't!" For once, Jared kept his mouth shut and Jensen continued, words spilling from him in a blend of apology and defense, "I prefer you. You know I prefer you. There was Chris before but I've never had anything like what we have and I don't want to give that up because my master likes having me in his bed."

The anger in his chest settled to a slow boil and there was only a hint of bitterness in Jared's voice when he asked, "What if I don't want to share you with him?"

Jensen swallowed but nodded. "Then that's your choice. You know what my duties can involve - I never lied to you about what I did with my first master and mistress - but if you've changed your mind and don't want me anymore, I'm not going to stop you from walking away. I don't want you to but I won't stop you."

Bristling at having all the pressure put on his shoulders, Jared retaliated, "And what about you? Am I the only one who cares about you crawling into his bed every night or are you happy being shared between us? I mean, if one of us can't help you out, you've always got a back-up option, right?"

"It's not like that," Jensen protested. "If it was up to me, you know I'd be with you, but I don't have a choice, Jared."

"You always have a choice!" Emotions that were months old came bubbling to the surface, pouring out faster than either of them could control. "You could try saying no for once, Jensen! Yeah, with some owners there wouldn't be any point but Butler's a good man. You ask him to stop, you refuse to let him fuck you, and he wouldn't push it. Hell, he'd probably buy a new bed slave and let you go to the slave dorms and out in public more often. You've always got other options besides laying there and taking it."

He looked at Jensen expectantly but the flutter of hope was instantly crushed by the shake of Jensen's head. "You really don't know how this works, do you? Butler's a decent owner. He feeds me, he lets me get enough sleep and water and exercise, and he doesn't hurt me any more than necessary, but that doesn't mean he's going to do a single thing I ask him to. Not everyone's like you, Jared; if a slave says no, we can be killed, beaten, raped, sold, or whatever else our owners want without any repercussions.

"I say no to Butler? Best case scenario is he waits me out, maybe cuts my food rations until I give in. Worst case scenario is that he takes what he wants whether I'm willing or not and then sells me back to the slaver as defective so that I get to spend another six months being broken in again. So yeah, Jared," he added sarcastically, "those are some great options I've got."

"He might just sell you on," Jared argued. "He wouldn't need to waste his time on someone who wasn't willing; he could sell you and I could buy you and-"

"You think I'm going to risk that?" The disbelief in his voice stung like a slap to the face but Jared listened as Jensen said, "You can't afford me, Jared. Even if you could, there's no guarantee I'd end up with you; I don't want to have myself put back on the market only to get snapped up by the goddamn wolves."

"You don't trust me? I'd look after you, you know that."

"No, I don't know that." He sighed, lips tight with anger but eyes shimmering with tears. "Look, I know you mean well and I'm happy to have whatever we've got now, but I can't trust you to take care of me. I need to look after myself. I always have."

The burn of rejection lit up something buried deep inside Jared. "Yeah, because you're doing a great job looking after yourself, right, Jensen? You've got a plan, you're in control... Oh, no, wait. That's not how you operate." He moved closer and Jensen stood his ground, eyes narrowing with an anger comparable to Jared's own. "Is this what you call taking care of yourself? Bending over for anyone who can give you what you need?"

Another step closer and Jared felt like his mind had disconnected from his mouth as he asked, voice low and dangerous, "Is that what you're doing with me? Because I know I was young when I got into this but I always thought you were something more than a goddamn whore."

The brutal smack of skin on skin was as sharp as a whipcrack in the silence of the bedroom.

Jensen's eyes went wide at the same time as Jared's but he was on his knees before Jared could even raise his hand to his stinging cheek.

Stunned by the fact that Jensen had hit him as much as from the blow itself, Jared could only watch dumbly as Jensen fixed his gaze on the floor and stammered, "I'm sorry, Ja- Sir. I didn't-" His shoulders trembled when he took a breath and repeated, "I'm sorry."

Jared stumbled backwards, the fire of his fury doused but still smoking when he asked, voice purposely neutral, "You sorry because you hit _me_ or because you hit a free man?"

He knew Jensen wanted to look up and felt more of his anger cool when he didn't, eyes locked on the floor and head bowed submissively as he replied, "Both. I- I'm sorry, Jared, I didn't mean- I've never hit someone like that." He swallowed hard and ventured a nervous question, "What are you going to do?"

The fear in his voice, the responsibility on Jared's shoulders... it was all too much. Scrubbing a hand over his face, Jared suddenly felt exhausted now that the fight had left him and said tiredly, "You mean am I going to have you executed for slapping me?" His cheek throbbed from the backhand he'd received but he shook his head. "No." He sighed. "Get up, Jensen."

Failing to construct a suitably eloquent apology while Jensen got to his feet, Jared settled for walking up to him, ignoring his flinch when he cupped his cheek and pressing a firm kiss to his forehead. Their eyes locked when he pulled back and Jared murmured sincerely, "I'm sorry. I was way out of line. I know I've got some problems with anyone else sleeping with you and I'm not sure I'm ever going to get over them," -Jensen smiled slightly and Jared kissed him again, more for reassurance than romance- "but I shouldn't have blamed you for it."

There was more he wanted to say but he couldn't fashion it into something adequately contrite. Not wanting to ignite the quarrel again, he opted for silence and another kiss when Jensen's hand came up to rest against his throbbing cheek as he whispered, "I didn't mean to hit you. Not just because of the punishment but..." He trailed off with a shy shrug and Jared filled in the gap ( _because it was you_ ) before Jensen reiterated, ashamed, "I'm so sorry."

He didn't offer anything else either and Jared allowed the debate over their priorities to die down for the present, focusing instead on the warmth of Jensen's body and the fullness of his lips against his own rather than less pleasant thoughts about Butler's bedroom.

That didn't stop his eyes falling on the bed when they pulled apart. Whatever vague plans he'd arrived with now seemed foolish and inappropriate, and he looked at Jensen with half-hearted regret as he said, "Guess I should go. We probably need some time to think things through."

Jensen nodded, relief smoothing out some of the creases in his brow but fingers still playing anxiously with the edge of his tunic when he asked, "Are we- Are you going to come back or is this...?"

"No, no," Jared answered hurriedly. "I mean, yes, I'm coming back. I'm not ending this or calling it off or anything; I just need some time to get my head straight and then I'll be back sneaking into Butler's house before you know it."

Jensen's expression relaxed fully, a smile playing at the corners of his lips when he leaned in to kiss him again, chaste, sincere and the closest thing to an 'I love you' Jensen had ever given him.

Satisfaction over-riding the pain in his cheek, Jared gave him the most genuine grin he could muster while he backed towards the door. He received a matching smile of grateful understanding when he voiced an acceptable compromise with his parting words.

"Stay safe, okay?"  



End file.
